PASSOVER SEDER (Leader Guide)

PASSOVER SEDER (Leader Guide) Opens with blowing shofar, then song: Baruch Haba Introduction Three times a year God calls a holy convocation. Convocation is a summons, the same type of summons a judge can issue today. Only these are holy. God does not give His people a choice. It is a summons, not a request. There are curses for not coming; there are blessings for showing up. Ex 34:23-24 Three times in the year all your men shall appear before the LORD, the LORD God of Israel. Duet. 28 There are seven feasts divided into three parts: 1. Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits make up the week of Passover; 2. Pentecost stands alone; 3. Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah), Day of Atonement (or Yom Kippur) and Tabernacles make up the Feasts Tabernacles You should know each feast on three levels: historically, prophetically, and experientially. 1. The first level is the historic account of actual events in the Old Testament, is a pattern for us 1 Cor 10:11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come 2. The second level is the prophetic fulfillment of the feasts in the life of Jesus. Luke 24:44 These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me. (The first four feasts have already been fulfilled; the last three will be fulfilled in the end times) 3. The third level is how each one personally experiences the feasts. The feast must be individually experienced in order. You cannot celebrate the filling of the Holy Spirit of Pentecost without first having the salvation experience of Passover. PESACH Passover Pesach is Hebrew for pass over or hover over. There is the double meaning of the Death Angel passing over in judgment, but the divine hovering of God in mercy to those who, in faith, have been obedient to apply the blood of the Lamb. Passover is judgment or mercy, the decision is yours. Central to the commandment to celebrate Passover is the commandment to tell your

children the story of God bringing His people out of the bondage of Egypt and to explain what that means for each of us. Deut 11:18-21 Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul. And bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. (19) You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. (20) And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, (21) that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, like the days of the heavens above the earth. We keep this commandment during the Seder dinner as we tell this story. It is very appropriate to recline as you eat. Being able to recline while eating is a sign of being free. As you eat if you want, you may recline or lean to one side. Seder means order. The Seder dinner is an order of worship. When a certain food or wine is given, wait until we all eat it at the same time. Bedikat Hametz Searching for Leaven Passover takes a lot of preparation in a Jewish household. Everything in the house is cleaned and polished. Especially important is that all leaven is removed. Leaven, or yeast, is found in breads, crackers, cake, cookies, etc. It is symbolic of sin. The Papa will take a candle, a wooden spoon, and a feather to search the house for leaven. He will search every corner and crevice, brush the crumbs into the spoon and then burn them. The children love this game and might even hide some for Papa to find. Remember we said that you should experience each feast on a personal level. As believers we are more concerned with searching our own hearts, removing leaven from our lives. Who can eat of the Lamb? Only those with a circumcised heart who are in covenant relationship with God. Seder begins You will notice there is a special place set. We hope to have a special guest come during the meal. The Seder dinner begins with Momma lighting the candles. Baruch atah Adonai Elo-he-nu Melech ha-olam. Asher Ki-d sha-nu b mitz-vo-tav visti-va-nu l had-lik ner shel Pesach. Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who has sanctified us by Thy commandments and has commanded us to kindle the Passover lights. As the woman begins the Seder and gives light to the Passover table, so it was from the

seed of a woman that the Messiah came to perform His redemptive ministry and bring light to the world. Jesus, Yeshua, kept the Passover. On the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed, Yeshua instructed Peter and John to make preparation. Luke 22:7-13 Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed. (8) And He sent Peter and John saying, Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat. (9) So they said to Him, Where do you want us to prepare? (10) And He said to them, Behold when you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house which he enters. (11) Then you shall say to the master of the house, The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples? (12) Then he will show you a large, furnished upper room; there make ready. (13) So they went and found it just as He had said to them, and they prepared the Passover. Passover was a joyous time in Jerusalem. Jews came from all over the world. The highest wish of all Jews everywhere was to walk in the inner court of the Temple to sacrifice the Passover, to pray, and to listen to the Levitical choir. But they did not go to Jerusalem just to pray. There were business opportunities. Merchants were there with spices and herbs. The marketplace was jammed with pilgrims, especially at the market where the sheep and goats were for sale. One month before Passover, the government would begin to repair the roads and bridges pilgrims would travel to Jerusalem. There is no way to know how many pilgrims went but Josephus, the first century historian, said that at one Passover 256,000 lambs were slain. That is an amazing number when you consider that normally ten people shared one lamb. The Four Cups of Wine The order of the Seder is found in this book called the Haggadah. Haggadah means "the telling." Specifically the telling of the story of Passover. Portions of the Haggadah have been passed down from as early as 170 BC and were in place during the time of Messiah. Gamaliel, who was Paul's teacher, said, "Whoever does not explain three things in the Passover has not fulfilled the duty incumbent on him. These three things are: the Passover lamb, the unleavened bread, and the bitter herbs. The Passover lamb means that God passed over the blood-sprinkled place on the houses of our fathers in Egypt; the unleavened bread means that our fathers were delivered out of Egypt; the unleavened bread means that our fathers were delivered out of Egypt in haste; and the bitter herbs mean that the Egyptians made bitter the lives of our fathers in Egypt." (Pesach 10:15) In the Haggadah we see the cup of wine is drunk four times. Each cup represents the four promises spoken by the Lord in Ex 6:6-8: I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians The Cup of

Sanctification I will rescue you from their bondage The Cup of Judgment I will redeem you with an outstretched arm The Cup of Redemption I will take you as My people, and I will be your God The Cup of Praise Papa s first job is to fill the cups sparingly. Just enough for a sip or two because you must drink all that is in your cup. Papa begin filling. We will wait and all drink together. The first cup, the cup of sanctification, represents the first promise: I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. The fulfillment of the first I will is found in Hebrews 10:10 By that which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Luke 22:14-18 And when the hour was come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. And He said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat the Passover with you before I suffer; for I say unto you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God. Then He took the cup and gave thanks, and said, Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes. Baruch atah Adonai Elo-he-nu Melech ha-olam Boy-ray pree ha-gaw-fen Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine. Drink the Cup of Sanctification The Urachatz First washing of hands Mama will carry a bowl of water to each person to ceremonially wash your hands. This is representative of the priestly cleansing in the brazen laver and adds sanctity to the table. Read John 13:1-11 while hands are being washed. The Karpas Dipping of the Parsley The first food on the Seder plate is parsley. Just as the wine represents the blood of the Passover lamb, the green parsley represents the hyssop which was used to place the blood of the lamb upon the door posts and the lintel. (Make the sign of the cross ) Jesus is not just the blood on the door, He is also THE door. In his death He is the lamb who shed His blood. In His resurrection, He is the door. I am the door, if anyone enters by me, He will be saved. There is a bowl of salt water between you. This represents the tears shed in Egypt

and the water in the Red Sea, both of which are salty. Dip the parsley in the water once and then again. Baruch atah Adonia Elo-he-nu Melech ha-olam Boh-ray pree ha-a-dah-mah Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the red dust of the earth. Eat the parsley The Yachutz Breaking of the middle matzah Show matzah and matzah tash, or unity pouch. There are three sections to the matzah tash. There is a piece of Matzah in each section. Look at the Matzah. It is unleavened (there is no leaven or sin). Most of the time when this story is told, it is said or inferred that the bread they ate was unleavened because they had to leave Egypt quickly and the bread did not have time to rise. If Egypt represents the world and leaven represents sin, then once God has freed you, separate yourself quickly from the world before sin pulls you back in It s not just that there wasn t time for the bread to rise, it was get out before the bread has time to rise. Also the matzah is pierced, it is bruised in its baking, and it is striped. Isaiah 53:3 But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was wounded for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with His stripes we are healed. Papa, break the middle piece of Matzah. Leave half in the middle section of the pouch and take half out and wrap it in the white napkin. This piece wrapped in the napkin is called the afikomen. Now all the children at the table, put your heads down and close your eyes while papa hides the afikomen. Most Jews say that the three sections of the matzah tash are Abraham Isaac and Jacob. This creates some problems with the children because they don t understand why Isaac is broken. We know that the three sections represent the trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The afikomen plays an important part at the end of the Seder, but it will stay hidden until then. The Meggid The story of Exodus Imagine you grew up in Egypt. Pharaoh has forced your parents, your grandparents and all your ancestors before them for 400 years to work as slaves. All your life you have heard stories of how your grandfather died making clay bricks for Pharaoh. You ve heard stories about how your baby brother you never

got to see because he was born dead. Your mother had to work in the fields for Pharaoh even though she was sick and about to have a baby. She was beaten severely and the baby was born dead. But you have also heard stories about a God who will one day save his people and every time He is mentioned you ask your parents When is he coming? But on this night something different is in the air. You have heard about a man called Moses who has gone to pharaoh and demanded that your family be freed. You have heard stories about Egypt being filled with frogs, lice, locusts, and the river turning to blood. But these things are frightening so you forget about them while you play with your little lamb your parents brought into the house four days ago. He is the most precious gift your parents ever gave you. He is perfectly white, not one blemish on him. He nuzzles you with his nose and runs and plays with you. His wool is clean and soft and he keeps you warm as he sleeps beside you on your pallet. Then your father comes and explains that if your family is to be set free from slavery, the lamb must die. What do you feel? You don t want to believe it. What could the lamb s death do with your freedom? Your father takes the lamb outside your door where there is a trench dug so that if there is flooding, the water will not come into the house. He tells you not to watch, but you don t want your lamb to be afraid, so you stroke his head while your father gets a strong hold of him. Your lamb does not cry out as your father slits his throat. The blood runs down into the trench and is collected in a basin. Your mother prepares a fire to roast the lamb while your father does the strangest thing. He takes some hyssop and spreads the blood on the lintel and then the doorposts of your door. You watch your neighbors doing the same thing and you over hear one of them say that the first born of every family who does not have the blood on the doorpost will die. You are the firstborn. You look up at the blood on the doorpost. Now, how do you feel about the blood? How do you feel about the lamb you loved? ***************************************** Jesus perfectly fulfilled every requirement for the Passover lamb The lamb had to be the first born male. It had to be without blemish or spot. It had to be inspected for four days: it was brought in on the 10 th of the month and killed on the 14 th. Jesus entered Jerusalem on the 10 th and was crucified on the 14 th. Not one of the lamb s bones was to be broken. Jesus dismissed his spirit, so that not a bone was broken. The lamb was roasted; Jesus endured the fires of suffering. Blood was applied to the doorposts. John 10:9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.

There was healing as they ate the Passover lamb. Ps 105:37 He brought them out with silver and gold and there were none feeble among His tribe. 2.5 million people came out of 400 years of slavery and not one was sick. Not one was even feeble! There is healing, physical, emotional, mental and spiritual healing in eating the Passover lamb. 2 Chron. 30:13-20 13 A very large crowd of people assembled in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month. 14 They removed the altars in Jerusalem and cleared away the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Valley. 15 They slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and the Levites were ashamed and consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings to the temple of the LORD. 16 Then they took up their regular positions as prescribed in the Law of Moses the man of God. The priests sprinkled the blood handed to them by the Levites. 17 Since many in the crowd had not consecrated themselves, the Levites had to kill the Passover lambs for all those who were not ceremonially clean and could not consecrate [their lambs] to the LORD. 18 Although most of the many people who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, "May the LORD, who is good, pardon everyone 19 who sets his heart on seeking God--the LORD, the God of his fathers--even if he is not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary." 20 And the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people. 2 Chron 30:13-20 (NIV) Isaiah 53:3 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:3-5 (NIV)

The Four Questions Question 1 Why is this night different from all other nights? On other nights we eat bread with leaven but on this night we only eat unleavened bread. PAPA: The unleavened bread is a symbol of life without sin. Yeshua, the bread of life, had no sin. God the Father sees us through the righteousness of Yeshua, sinless. I Cor. 5:7-8 7 Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast--as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth. 1 Cor 5:7-8 (NIV) Question 2: Why is this night different from all other nights? On other nights we may eat herbs but on this night we eat only bitter herbs. PAPA: Our fathers were slaves in Egypt and their lives were very bitter. Question 3: Why is this night different from all other nights? On other nights we do not dip the parsley but on this night we dip it twice? PAPA: The first dip in the salt water is Israel going in to the red sea. The second dip is for the Egyptian army which tried to follow them. The parsley is dipped and then immediately eaten, just like the red sea covered pharaoh s army. Yeshua identified his betrayer when Judas dipped his hand into the dish. Matth 26:20-25 20 When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. 21 And while they were eating, he said, "I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me." 22 They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, "Surely not I, Lord?" 23 Jesus replied, "The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born." 25 Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, "Surely not I, Rabbi?"

Jesus answered, "Yes, it is you." Matt 26:20-25 (NIV) Question 4 Why is this night different from all other nights? On other nights we do not recline at the table, but on this night we do. PAPA: Long ago reclining was a sign of a free man. On this night our forefathers were freed from bondage. The Second Cup Papa it is time to pour the second cup of wine. (pour just a little more this time but not much) This is the cup of judgment which represents the second promise, I will rid you out of their bondage. With this cup we remember what we were saved from. God sent ten plagues, one by one, yet Pharaoh still hardened his heart. As I name each plague, spill one drop of juice on your plate or on the sweet haroset. But save some to drink. Blood frogs lice flies pestilence boils hail locusts darkness slaying of firstborn. Baruach atah Adonia Elo-he-nu Melech Ha-olam Boy-ray pree ha-gaw-feen. Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine. Drink the second cup, the cup of judgment. MAROR _ Eating of the bitter herbs Papa break off an olive size piece of Matzah from the extra on the table, pass it around for each person to break off a small piece. Baruch atah Adonia Elo-he-nu, molech ha olam asher kid-sha-nu b mitzvo-tov al a chee-las maror Blessed art thou Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with his commandments and commanded us concerning the eating of bitter herbs. Dip the matzah in the horseradish and eat it. The bitter herb speaks of the sorrow, the persecution and the suffering our people under the hand of Pharaoh. As the horseradish brings tears to our eyes, so also,

did the great affliction of our people bring tears to their eyes. Korech Eating of the bitter Herb and Haroset Pappa, break off two small pieces of matzah and pass it around for all to do likewise Haroset is a mixture of apples, honey, dates and walnuts. It looks like mortar and represents the clay bricks which were made by our people in Egypt. Make sandwiches with horseradish and haroset between the two pieces of matzah. The matzah which Yeshua gave to Judas was bitter because of the betrayal, yet was sweet because of Yeshua s fulfillment of our need of a sacrifice for sin. Eat the sandwich Other food on the Seder plate Bone- represents the lamb Egg new life Onion Numbers 9:11 says on Passover we must eat unleavened bread and bitter herbs plural. SulChan Orech The Passover Meal Mama, take the bowl of water around for everyone to wash their hands before the meal Barauch atah Adonai Elo-he-nu Melech ha-olam. Asher kid-sha-nu b mitz-vo-tav vitsi-va-nu al n tee-as yaw-daw-yeem. Blessed art thou, O lord our God, King of the Universe, Who made us holy by Thy commandments and commanded us concerning the washing of the hands. We will eat and then have the blessing after the meal. (Meal should be kosher: no dairy, pork, shellfish, anything with leaven (yeast) such as bread, crackers, cakes, cookies) Baruch Hamazon Blessing after the meal Traditionally, grace is said after the meal, based on Duet. 8:10: When you eat and are satisfied, you shall bless the Lord your God. Have someone say the blessing. TZAPHUN - Eating and Searching for the Afikomen The afikomen, which papa hid, is the final food of the feast. There is so much symbolism here that it is hard to know where to start. Afikomen is the only word connected with the Seder which is not Hebrew. It is a Greek word. It comes from the Greek iknemai, which means I came. This part of the Seder was not present until after Jesus day. Rabbinic tradition explains it means dessert, since it is eaten last. But as believers in Yeshua, we know He did not come, and that is

the true meaning of afikomen. Now Children you search for the afikomen and when it is found papa will reward you. Papa and anyone at the table who wants to can reward the children who found it with coins or candy. Wait for all afikomen to be found. PAPA, distribute the entire half piece of matzah. Do not eat the afikomen yet. Papa, neatly fold the napkin and set it off to the side a little bit. John 20:6-7 6 Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. John 20:6-7 (NIV) It was a Hebrew custom that when you had been invited to a meal, if you enjoyed the company and wanted to return, you folded your napkin and set it off to the side. This was tantamount to saying, Thank you for serving me. I enjoyed myself. I will come back. When Peter saw the cloth folded and in a place by itself, he knew what that meant. Also, it was customary for each Jewish man to have a unique way of folding his napkin or his prayer shawl. It was like a signature. When Peter went into the tomb and saw the linen cloth, folded in a particular way, Peter knew exactly what that meant and more importantly, he knew who had folded it. Remember the afikomen started off in the middle section of the matzah tash. Then it was broken, wrapped in a white cloth and hidden. Then it was resurrected and the cloth was folded the same way it was described in scripture. Luke 22:19 And he took matzah, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." Luke 22:19 (NIV) Baruch atah adonia elo-he-ne molech ha-olam ha-motzilekhem min ha-aretz Blessed art thou O lord God Creator of the Universe, who brings forth BREAD from the earth. Eat the afikomen. All of it must be eaten. (BRAD S SONG) The Third Cup The Cup of Redemption

PAPA, fill the glasses for the third time. The Afikomen and the third cup represent the bread and wine of the Last Supper. The third cup is the cup of redemption. It represents the third promise, I will redeem you with an outstretched arm. This is God s promise that He would redeem His people from slavery, meaning He would purchase them back. The fulfillment of this third I WILL is found in Gal. 4:4-5 4 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, 5 to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Gal 4:4-5 (NIV) This is the cup Yeshua raised after supper in the upper room. Lk 22:20 20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. Luke 22:20 (NIV) Baruach atah Adonia Elo-he-nu Melech Ha-olam Boy-ray pree ha-gaw-feen. Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine. DRINK Eliyahu HaNavi The Prophet Elijah You will notice that there is still one place setting that has not been touched. MAL. 4:5-6 5 "See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. 6 He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse." Mal 4:5-6 (NIV) Children, run to the door and open it and see if Elijah is coming. The Fourth Cup the Cup of Praise Papa, it is time to fill the cups for the last time. This cup represents the fourth promise: I will take you as my own people and I will be your God Hallel Read Psalm 113

1 Praise the LORD. Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD. 2 Let the name of the LORD be praised, both now and forevermore. 3 From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised. 4 The LORD is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens. 5 Who is like the LORD our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, 6 who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth? 7 He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; 8 he seats them with princes, with the princes of their people. 9 He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the LORD. Psalms 113:1-9 (NIV) Baruach atah Adonia Elo-he-nu Melech Ha-olam Boy-ray pree ha-gaw-feen. Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine. Drink the cup of praise. The Jews conclude their Seder dinner by saying in unison Next Year in Jerusalem But we will conclude by reading in unison the scripture at the bottom of your haggadah: Rev. 22:20 20 He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Rev 22:20 (NIV)

Nirtzah Conclusion At Pesach we must relive the story of being slaves who were set free. We must understand the narrow distinction that separates hametz (leaven) from Matzah (unleavened bread). The lesson of slavery can never be self-pity. We must never be allowed to wallow in the role of victim. We must strive to understand that though we were once slaves in Egypt and we rejoiced in the sea when our enemies were swallowed up, still the torah commands in Dt. 23:7 7 Do not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother. Do not abhor an Egyptian, because you lived as an alien in his country. Deut 23:7 (NIV) To hate the Egyptians is to remain enslaved to them. Passover should be a tale without end. The Jews say: And if the Holy One, praised be he, had not taken our ancestors out of Egypt, then we, and our children and our children s children would still be enslaved to Pharaoh in Egypt. Now even if all of us were scholars, all of us sages, all of us elders, all of us learned in Torah, it still would be our duty to tell the story of the Exodus from Egypt. And whoever expands upon the story of the Exodus deserves praise. You should expand on the story of the exodus by including your own story of freedom. There is a Greek term anamnesis. It means memory, but not just a recall of factual information, rather a recollection of the past in such a way that it empowers the present. Not just inspires but empowers you to live in the present. Anamnesis is the opposite of amnesia. Satan would love for every Christian to have spiritual amnesia, because our stories of how God has freed us, how God has moved in our lives, define who we are as individuals and as a community. We understand the present and we have hope for a future by remembering the past. So we remember a time when we as individuals were in bondage, when we by faith applied the blood of the lamb to a door, when we walked out in freedom. We remember because it empowers us to live and to bring glory to the lamb who gave His life for us. The last thing the Israelites did before they walked out to freedom was to eat the Passover. As you leave tonight, walk out in a new freedom. Songs